AV8 fan clearance

Pete Fl/Wi

Pete Fl/Wi

Senior Member
I am going to trial fit my 8ba,39 trans with k member to my A frame with radiator in stock position. Goal is to locate motor mounts and K member for welding to frame. Question is how close can I have fan to radiator or what is the recommended clearance? At this time I am not concerned about firewall clearance.
Thanks, Pete
 
Normal 8BA fan application will probably not fit with body and radiator in the stock locations. That damn distributor forced things to be out there in front a bit more than for the 59A & earlier applications and even the 59A type fan would have to be modified to work well. The earlier 39 standard and prior fan on generator were the shortest set up in the front.

There are length comparisons on the HAMB for flathead in an AV8. I'm planning on using the early pumps, crab distributor, and a modified fan drive with offset generator when I get back to mu AV8 project but its going to take a few modifications to make it all work.
 
rotorwrench said:
Normal 8BA fan application will probably not fit with body and radiator in the stock locations. That damn distributor forced things to be out there in front a bit more than for the 59A & earlier applications and even the 59A type fan would have to be modified to work well. The earlier 39 standard and prior fan on generator were the shortest set up in the front.

There are length comparisons on the HAMB for flathead in an AV8. I'm planning on using the early pumps, crab distributor, and a modified fan drive with offset generator when I get back to mu AV8 project but its going to take a few modifications to make it all work.
Click to expand...

But that's not what he asked. He is not concerned about the firewall.
I would agree, no more than 1", 3/4" would be good.
 
I believe in the Bishop - Tardell book " Building a Traditional Ford Hot Rod" they suggested a 1/4" clearance using a 59 AB. Without engine radius rods on an 8BA the engine could move back & forth.
 
Well here's something to think about. A friend has a 29 roadster pickup. I built him a 50 Merc engine with the 8BA pumps and a Chevy dist. He's using a T-5 trains and a 39 rear end with the open drive adapter for the open drive shaft. His Walker radiator is in stock location, did not cut firewall, stock hood and 29 rad shell. I don't know how much he cut out of the stock Model A center cross member for the T-5 trans mount, but I'm sure he welded something good in there. The guy is almost 70, he was very cleaver mechanic all his life. He always run a hood and if it wasn't for the tires you would think it was a stock RPU. He drives it every day from early spring to late fall. No grass grows under that car. OHH he squeezed an electric fan between the engine and rad. Walt
 
For what it's worth... I've been working on and off on an AV8 and this is what I came up with. If you look into wheel bases, the '32 wheel base is 3" longer than a Model A. Interestingly, the '32 torque tube is also 3" longer than the Model A. I've taken this to mean that if a '32 K member is fitted to an Model A frame, the same distance from the front crossmember (including the radiator,) you'll wind up with the same engine to radiator spacing as the '32 and you'd be able to use a stock Model A rear end if you wished. The only thing you'd have to worry about would be the engine to firewall clearance. I haven't figured that out yet. As I said, this is all my thinking which could be way off base...
 
I ended up with about 3/4" with a 32 radiator setting in the stock location. I have a 8cm with 49/50 style Merc water pumps. In order to get this clearance, I had to recess the firewall about 3".
 
I used the Tardel-Bishop book for a reference...
I'm running a 1930 A frame, body, grill shell on an aftermarket radiator.
59AB, gen mounted fan (may be a 1937-8 fan... Less than 1/2" clearance to rad.
Body and rad are in stock location... Did make a fuel pump stand/ breather/ oil fill to accomodate use of 1934 truck throttle set up... Cause it's kinda tight there.

I must have got lucky, cause I don't remember doing a real serious mock up...
You can call if you want, just pm me...
I got a tape measure.
Karl
 
For what it's worth I'm running about a 3/4 to 7/8 spacing between the fan and radiator. I have a Model A with K member in an A frame using a 32 wishbone. I am running a 8BA with truck pumps and a Walker radiator. To get the clearance without cutting the firewall I cut the front sheave off of the crank pulley. I used a pulley from MEC, Model Engineering Co to locate a cut down 1935 fan on the 8BA generator, making it a one belt operation.
 
I have an 8BA, '35 trans, Tardel K-member, Model A rear end/torque tube, and original Model A radiator with inlets/outlets added/modified. Used truck type pumps and a single belt to alternator with fan mount. K-member location was determined by length of stock torque tube and necessitated some trimming at firewall. I used a spacer to bring the fan forward. I am now working on a "spool" extender made with two round flanges welded to a steel tube at either end to replace aluminum spacer, which doesn't look so hot. Fan is 1" from radiator and it cools very well.
 

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This has been mentioned before I believe, but BE careful using the TARDEL book's measurements. Some dimensions in early printings were wrong I believe, but may have been corrected in subsequent printings. FWIW
Paul in CT
 
I'm too tall to cut a firewall in my 29 roadster. Any of the flathead V8s can be made to work and with a mechanical fan too but it is a real challenge. If you don't need the leg room, the fire wall recess will solve a fair amount of problems.
 
1931 flamingo said:
This has been mentioned before I believe, but BE careful using the TARDEL book's measurements. Some dimensions in early printings were wrong I believe, but may have been corrected in subsequent printings. FWIW
Paul in CT
Click to expand...

Bishop has stated on HAMB that instead of a '33-'34 wishbone, it really should have been a '32 wishbone. That all adds up to what I posted earlier about the front end of a '32 having the same spacing from the torque tube bell joint to the front crossmember the same as the Model A.
 
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